John Stiven Ramírez leaves Vistabella as the trump card for the general classification

9 June, 2018

XXXVI Volta Castelló
Stage 3: Grao de Castellón-Vistabella (134,3 km)

The main stage of the Tour of Castellón reached the town of Vistabella, a mountain end where the Galician Cristian Mota (Aldro) won the race alone after an attack on the ramps of the previous port, Benigos. The Ponteareas rider rose to the provisional lead in a race where Colombian John Stiven Ramirez, fifth to thirteen seconds, is now the best classified rider at Polartec-Kometa U23. Alejandro Ropero, second at the start, lost contact with the group at the start of the final climb and his chances of qualifying. Carlos García, eighth, and Jorge Pastor, fourteenth, are the next riders in the general standings.

A stage of great harshness that in its early stages gave rise to many offensive moves. The breakaway took a long time to arrive, some of which included Sergio García and Daniele Cantoni, and the control of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA was from that moment onward tightened. A leak will not crystallize until the first fifty kilometers have passed, when seven cyclists, none of them from the Foundation, consolidate a gap that will be up to two minutes long. The adventure will end at the decisive stage.

In Benigos, the penultimate mountain pass, Carlos García and Jorge Pastor will move without success. Mota, who will ultimately win, will have better luck. He will have a gap of fourteen seconds, which, with ten kilometres to go, will be more than half a minute. Behind Carlos Garcia and the’froiz’ Ander del Castaño will ride between the head of the race and a platoon with a 50 second delay. Del Castaño will leave García on the last climb and from behind he will pass `ampo’ Unai Cuadrado; the Spaniard will finally finish fourth.

“We have to congratulate Aldro, he has made an exhibition”, says the director Rafa Díaz Justo; “we, from my point of view, have had a chaotic day, we have not been in any part of the race. We’re not clear on the objective. Ropero stayed below the last port, John Stiven resisted and Carlos went between two waters, far from the stage and also far away to work. But this is cycling and this Sunday will be another day. The Polartec-Kometa, the best team of the day, reinforces its leadership in the team overall of a round in Castellón where John Stiven remains the leader among the U20 riders, ahead of Carlos Garcia.

The Vuelta a Castellón concludes this Sunday with a 128.5 kilometer stage with the start and finish in Castellón de la Plana with the presence of the Desierto de las Palmas in the vicinity of the finish line.